Game of skill



Sept. 14,v1937. e. BREITENSTEIN GAME OFSKILL Filed March 7, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 1 v Sept. 14, 1937.

H. G. BIQEITE STEIN ,0 3,162

GAME OF. SKILL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7, 1954 Q Zweni'or v Ereri@Brgiiewsiev'm M 3% N%. QR

Se t. 14, 1937. H. e. IBREITE-NSTEIIN v 2,093,152

GAME OF SKILL.

Filed March 7, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig a K vl/lllllll l Jill/6742GT 75He; rZzez ifire iieneiein Z? 3 M Se t. 14, 1937. H. GQBREITENSTEIN GAMEOF. SKILL '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fild March 7 1934 7 L M w 9 6 H m Q72 m/ o 7Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME OF SKILLApplication March 7,

11 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in a game of skill of the typecomprising an inclined playing board provided with holes through whichproperly projected balls drop to be trapped. Generally it relates tostructural features that will improve and enhance the play and operationof the game.

Among the objects of the invention it is desired to provide an improvedball trapping structure after the balls pass through the target holes.

It is also an object to provide an improved ball return means for theball projector.

Further, it is an object to provide an improved ball switch on theplaying board to make the play more interesting.

Still another object is to provide a coin. released game in which novelfeatures are present to prevent unauthorized release of the game forplay when an improper coin is used in an effort to release themechanism. Another object is to provide means to register the scorevalues of balls played through the holes.

Other important objects will become apparent as the disclosure is morefully made.

Briefly, these desirable objects are attained in a practicable form ofthe invention herein chosen for purposes of illustration, inwhich thegame comprises a box containing an inclined playing field or boardprovided with a. predetermined number of targets in the form. of holesthrough which properly projected balls fall when projected one by onethereover by a shooter located at one side of the board. Below the mainboard is a second panel or board provided with alleys to direct trappedballs to registers which are operated by the balls to indicate scorevalues. To prevent more than one ball from going through the same hole,each hole is provided with a normally open trap door that isautomatically closed by the ball passing through the hole. A novel ballswitch is mounted on the upper end of the play board to deflect theballs hitting the same. The under panel includes a, ball accumulator,and the panel is slidably mounted to be pushed by the coin release slideto free the balls from the accumulator and direct them into a troughthat leads them to a lifter for moving the balls one at a time intoposition in front of the ball shooter. The sliding panel includesstructure for preventing unauthorized play or release of the balls whenthe coin slide is improperly manipulated. So much of the briefdescription will sufiice in giving a general idea of the mechanism,which is particularly illus- 1934, Serial No. 714,477 (Cl. 273-121)trated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general plan view of the game, showing the top board andregister panel;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, side sectional view of the trap door for thetarget holes, as seen along the line 2-2, shown in Figure 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows; V

Figure 3 is a general plan view of the interior mechanism as seen whenthe top play board is removed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail plan view of a saftey devicecooperable with the coin chute release;

Figure 5 is a detail side view, partly in section, of the structureshown in Figure 4 and as seen along the line 55 appearing in thatfigure, and looking in the indicated direction;

Figure 6 is a side sectional view of the rear end of the game as seenalong the line 6-6 appearing in Figure 3, looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

' Figure 7 is an enlarged side sectional view of the register mechanismas seen in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an enlarged plan view showing in detail the ball switch;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the ball chute castmg;

Figure 10 is a side view of the same casting; and,

Figure 11 is an end view of the same part.

Looking to Figures 1 and 6 it will be seen that the game is housed in agenerally rectangular box l5 having side walls l6, a front wall ll, arear wall l8, and a fioor I9. The top of the box is closed by a glasspanel and immediately therebelow is mounted a play field or board 2!which is inclined from the rear to the front so that'balls willgravitate downwardly thereover in a well known manner. 7

The board 2! has a ball projection passageway 22 ovally arranged thereonso that balls shot by a projector 23 will travel around the periphery ofthe field and emerge at 24 onto the field. Said field is provided withten holes 25, in the present. embodiment of the invention; each holebeing closed by a trap door or pad 26 as shown in Figure 2 when a balldrops therethrough.

'As shown in Figure 2 the pad or door 26 is circular and each oneincludes a substantially right angularly extended trip leg 2'! which iscurved properly to receive the ball engaging the same. Further the board2| rearwardly of each hole is notched as at 28, which notch is linedwith'a metal liner 29 to the underside of which to engage a stop pin 31on the board 2|.

is secured a fiat spring 30 that has an upwardly extending portion whichpresses against the leg 2?. Said liner 29 carries a pivot pin 3| forpivotally mounting the trap door. In Figure 2 the dotted lines show thenormal position of the hole with the door 26 open. The spring 30yieldingly locks the door in open position. When a ball drops into thehole, the ball which preferably is a steel ball, engages the curved tripleg 21 to overcome the spring pressure and rock the leg downwardly tothe full line position shown, thereby closing the hole 25 as the pad 26is pulled down to horizontal position. The spring 3|] is now operativeyieldingly to lock the door in its hole closing position.

The improved ball switch appears in Figure 1 at the top of the board anda detail plan View thereof is shown in Figure 8. As shown in thesefigures the upper or topmost hole 25 is bounded by parallel guide bars32 between which a ball must roll to drop into that hole. After saidhole has been played once the hole is closed by its door 25 andthereafter succeeding balls passing between the guides 32 must engagethe ball switch now to be described.

This switch is shown at 33 located on a pivot pin 34 on the board 2|just below the top hole 25. It embodies an arm 35 extending forwardly ofthe pin 34 and a sector shaped portion rearward of the pin, said sectorhaving two spaced stops 35 As shown in Figure 8 when a ball passes theclosed top hole 25 it is deflected by the obliquely disposed arm 35 toengage the sloping shoulder of the sector to deflect the ball to theright in the full line position of the switch shown in Figure 8. Theweight of the ball thus causes the switch to be flipped to the dottedline position shown so that the next ball to engage theswitch would bedeflected in an opposite direction. The stops 36 and pin Bl limit thepivotal movement of the switch and keep it always in proper positionrelative to the hole and its guides 32. By this switch means the play ismade more interesting as it deflects balls encountered thereby first toone side of the board and then to the other side.

As appears in Figures 6 and '7 the lower end of the board 2| is formedwith a relatively large transverse opening 38 closed by a register plateor panel 39 having a transverse sight opening 40 formed therein. Aportion of the opening 38 is left uncovered in rear of the plate 39 toleave a transverse ball drop opening 4| which, as shown in Figure 1, isdesigned to receive spent balls that happen to miss the main holes 25.Suitable rails 42 serve to guide the spent balls to said opening 4|. Atthe extreme lower end of the board 2| is a free play opening 43. If aball falls thereinto, it is returned to the lifter for a repeated shot.

Below the main or play board 2| is another inclined board 44 as shown inFigures 3 and 6, sloped in substantial parallelism with the upper board2| and spaced a sufficient distance therebelow to permit balls to dropclear through and free of the upper board. This board 44 is slidablycarried for endwise movement, or in the direction of its length, onseveral roller rods 45 arranged transversely thereunder, said rodshaving their ends mounted on rails 46 secured to the side. walls E5 ofthe box. These rods are free to roll on the rails within limitsdetermined by stops 4'5. In this manner the slide panel 44 is carried inthe, box.

Under each hole 25 is arranged in the panel 44.

the terminal end of an alley 48, there being ten alleys as shown best inFigure 3, one for each hole 25. Each alley has its terminal end under ahole 25 delineated by a vertical U-shaped wall member 49 (see alsoFigure 2), each member 49 including a pressed out tongue to form a chute5B. The wall member 49 makes certain that a dropping ball coming througha hole 25 will be directed into its alley 48, and the chute 50 serves toimpart initial momentum to the ball to start it moving down its alley48.

The lower end of the slidable panel board 44 terminates under theregister plate 39, said lower edge having connected to it a transversebar, or ball accumulator tray member 5| formed with a series of tenpockets 52 alined respectively with the lower ends of the ten alleys 4B.Rearwardly spaced from the tray bar, and formed as an integralpartthereof is a transverse loop or bail element 53 for a purpose later tobe made known.

Looking now to the register devices shown in Figures 1 and 7, it will beseen that the plate.

has depending end walls which carry a transverse pivot shaft 54 to whichare pivotally connected intermediate their ends, the legs 55 of atransversely spaced series of ten register segments 56 movable under thesight opening 40, each of said segments on its top surface carrying anumber to correspond to the number value given to the hole 25 with whichit is associated.

The legs 55 extend downwardly some distance and into a pocket 52 so thata ball rolling ofi the end of an alley 48 lodges or presses against theleg to pivot the segment 55 into View position under the slot 48. Thefore and aft pivotal movement of the registers is limited by a fronttransverse wire rod 57 and a rear transverse wire 58.

When the register is stopped in its forward, or indicating position, theball which operated it comes to rest in the adjacent pocket 52 fortemporary storage. All; balls played through the holes 25 are thusaccumulated on the pocketed tray bar 5|.

Adjacent the bar 5| the board 44 carries a transverse ball stop bar 59just under the slot 4| so that balls falling into the same seatthemselves on the bar where they are trapped and held from falling intovthe pockets 52. Thus these balls cannot operate the registers. SeeFigure 7.

The ball operated register devices are made to close contacts forelectrical circuits, not shown, to actuate a reward dispensingmechanism, also not shown. Such contact mechanism, as shown,

best in Figure 7, comprises a transversely disposed, insulated plate 50carried by the register plate 39 under the board 44. This plate carriesa series of ten spaced spring fingers 6|, one for each register, andeach finger carrying a contact electrode 62 normally gapped away from(see Figure 6) ten respective contacts 63 mounted in a cross bar 64 alsocarried by the end walls of the register panel 39. An insulated pad 65separates the legs 55 from the spring fingers 6|. It now can be seenthat when a ball pushes a register into indicating position, its leg 55also moves a spring 6| to engage the associated contacts 62, 53 toestablish a circuit for any suitable electrically operated auxiliarymechanism, such, for example, as a reward pay off dispenser.

As shown in Figures 6, 9, 10 and 11, there is an improved ball routingand chute structure, which comprises an integral casting generallydesignated B6. The integral member includes a transversely extendingrunway 61 to receive free play balls dropping through the hole 43. Therunway slopes to and communicates with a forwardly extending chute 68which directs the balls to the lower end of a transversely inclined mainball chute 69, said latter chute being located below the accumulatortray pocket bar 5|. As shown in Figure 6 there is then a pair of spacedchutes '61, 69 arranged in substantial parallelism and at differentlevels, with a communicating runway between them at one end. The chutecasting has apertured ears ID for fastening to the front wall ll forfastening to the right hand wall l6 adjacent the shooter 23 and, lastly,an ear I2 formounting on a post 13 carried on the floor l9 as shown inFigure 6.

Adjacent the ear II the walls of the runways 68 and 69 are provided witha vertical slot 14 through which may move a hooked arm i5 secured to thesliding panel 44 as seen in Figure 3. A ball lifter 16 of anyconventional design is pivotally mounted on the right hand wall I6 andis operable by a pusher 1? to elevate balls one by one from the lowerend of the chute 69 to a position above the board 2| in front of theshooter 23, all in a manner well understood in this art. The hooked arm15 at times engages the lifter to move a portion thereof into positionacross the lower end of the ball chute 69 to prevent the balls fromrolling to the lifter.

As has been described the alley panel 44 is slidably mounted on rollers.Said panel is so moved by a coin operated slide 18 which has anextension 19, as best appears in Figure 4 to abut a post 88 on a cornerplate 8| secured to the board 44. The slide 18 is of the kind which canonly be moved in, part way, if a spurious magnetic coin is used, suchpart way movement bringing the end of the extension up to the post butnot permitting enough push to be transmitted thereto to completely slidethe panel. When this occurs a slot 82 in the extension engages avertical boss 8 on a pivoted lever 84, mounted on the pivot 85. A s ring86 normally holds the lever 84 as shown in Figure 3 so that a part waymovement causes the same to engage a guide 81 on the adjacent wall whichpivots the lever inwardly against the pull of the spring to move theboss 83 into the slot 82 for positively locking the slide to the panelso that no amount of jiggling the parts will permit any further slidinginward of the panel when a spurious coin is used. All that can be doneis to permit the slide 18 to retract for removal of the spurious coin. Aspring 88 pushes the panel 44 forward in the direction of the front wallto normal position and, at the same time the lever 84 guides past theguide 81 until it is free therefrom, whereupon the spring 86 isoperative to restore the latch to normal position as seen in Figure 3.

When an authentic coin is used in the slide 18, of course, it can thenmake a'full complete stroke, the slot 82 latching the boss 83; but theextension can push through on the post 80 to carry the panel 44 itsmaximum movement.

Several cross bars 89 are appropriately mounted on the panel 44 abovethe alleys 48 to engage the legs 21 of the doors 26 for moving theclosed doors to open position as the panel is moved rearwardly whenreleasing the game for play.

Five of the doors 26 are controlled by a difierent mechanism whichcomprises five bars 90 on the panel 44, each bar carrying a forwardlyextending light, fiat spring 9|. 'See also Figure 2. These springs9|constitute a cheat proof feature to prevent improper play of the gameand particularly improper closing of the contacts B-l-{fiii to work thepay off mechanism, as will be-described in the summary to thisspecification.

We will assume, in describing the operation, that the game has beenplayed and that most of the ten balls are accumulated on the tray 52,and some are lodged on the bar 59 under the slot- 4|. This is thestarting position as shown in Figures 3 and 7 with the alley panel 44pushed forward toward the wall I! by the spring 88. To release the gamefor play a coin is placed in the slide 18 which thereupon is pushed in,or ahead, causing the extension 79 to engage the post 88 to move thepanel rearward toward the wall "I8. Such movement of the panel 44carries the pockets 52' ahead to the position shown in Figure '5 wherethe lodged balls are free to roll down the inclined bottoms of thepockets and to dropfinto the chute 69. At the same time the bar 59 movesback awayfrom under the slot 4| so that any balls thereon also gravitateinto the chute 69.

At the same time the bail 53 engages the legs 55 of the registers 56 topivot them toward the left as viewed in Figure '7 which sets thesegments 56 in non-indicating position. This also gaps apart thecontacts 6|, '63. The cross bars 89 and light springs 9| engage thedownwardly extending legs 21 of the doors 26 to move the latter to openposition. At the same time the panel carries the arm 15 with it into aposition-to move the ball lifter 16 to close off the lower endof theinclined chute 69 which prevents the balls for the time being frommoving into the path of the ball lifter 76.

When the coin slide 18 is freed the spring 88 is instantly operative toreturn the panel 44 forward in the direction of the wall IT. AS thepanel so moves, the arm 15 moves with it so that the balls on the chute69 can now Pass freely into position to be raised one by one intoposition in front of the shooter 2 3. Thus, play is begun, the ballsmoving around the oval track 22 and emerging at 24 onto the play board2| down which the balls gravitate to the holes 25. Asa ball dropsthrough a hole, it closes the door 26 in the manner described, so thatin a single play cycle one ball only can drop through a hole.

The ball then drops into an alley 48 on the lower board 44 down which itrolls to engage the leg 55 of a segment 56 to set the same, and thecontacts 6|, 63. Having done this the ball comes to rest in the pocket52 which it has entered. Some balls may pass through the hole 4|; and,if so, they lodge on the bar 59 to be taken out of play. A ball droppinginto the hole 43 enters the chute 61 for return to the lifter for arepeat play. Eventually all of the balls are either onthe bar 59 orlodged in the several pockets 52. When all ten balls have been playedthe game is over and the parts must be released by another coin in theslide 18. The indicators '56 moved into scoring position register thevalues of the "balls trapped.

The ball switch 33 operates in the manner al ready described to deflectthe balls to the right or left to make the play more interesting.

The operationof the trigger lock for stabilizing I the panel 44 when aspurious coin. is used, has

also been heretofore explained.

'Unscrupulous players sometimes try to manip ulate the game in a falsemanner to make it pay out the maximum reward by causing a ball to lodgein each one of the ten holes 25. They do this by holding the slide 18 inits 'in -positio'n, thus holding the panel 44 also in against thepush ofthe return spring -88. By getting -the" balls all up on the playingfield they tilt the table and cause balls to lodge in all holes 25. Inthe present game arrangement five of the balls can be lodged in five ofthe holes because when the panel 44 is so held the cross bars 89 aredirectly under their associated holes and serve to support the balls.These five holes are not reward pay off holes so no harm. is done.However, as to the remaining five holes 25 they constitute the pay ofiholes and under these we find the light leai springs 9| which cannotsupport the steel balls and permit them to drop through, and down theiralleys 48 to the chute 69 where they are kept from further play by theobstructor portion of the lifter 16 which is moved into operativeposition as the panel 44 is being held in. Such trickery thus serves nopurpose and all the player can do is to release the slide 18 and permitthe spring 88 to push the panel 44 to its normal forward position.

From this disclosure it can now be seen that various relatedimprovements have been made in a game of the type described whichachieve all of the desirable objects heretofore recited.

It is the intention to cover all such changes of the disclosedembodiment which do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention, the same being defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of an inclined board having holes therethrough downwhich balls may gravitate to the holes, of a second inclined board underthe first board, said second board having alleyways whose ends at oneend terminate substantially under the respective holes, and U- shapedwalls carried on the second board and respectively surrounding theterminal ends of the alleyways to guide the balls dropped through theholes into alleyways, said walls including a chute to impart momentum tothe balls.

2. The combination of an inclined board having holes therethrough downwhich balls may gravitate into the holes, of normally open doors for theholes, means controlled by balls dropping in the holes to close thedoors,-a second inclined ball receiving board under the first board,rollers for slidably mounting the second board, door opening members onthe second board, and means to slide the second board to cause themembers to open the doors.

3. The combination of an inclined board having holes therethrough downwhich balls may gravitate into the holes, of normally. open doors forthe holes, means controlled by balls dropping in the holes to close thedoors, a slidably mounted ball receiving panel under the board, andmeans on said panel to open the doors when the panel is slid, certain ofsaid means comprising members movable under the holes and constructed toallow balls to drop through the holes onto thopanel. I

4. The combination of an inclined board having holes therethrough downwhich balls may gravitate into the holes, of normally open doors for theholes, means controlled by balls dropping in the holes to close thedoors, a slidably mounted ball receiving panel under the board, andmeans on said panel .to open the doors when the panel is slid, certainof said means comprising spring elements movable under the holes butpermitting balls to drop through the holes to the panel. I

5. The combination of an inclined board having holes therethrough downwhich balls may gravitate. into the holes, of normally open doors forthe holes, means controlled by balls dropping in the holes to close thedoors, a slidably mounted ball receiving panel under the board, andmeans on said panel to open the doors when the panel is slid, certain ofsaid means comprising cross bars movable under certain holes and adaptedto support balls lodged in the associated holes, and certain other ofsaid means comprising fiat springs also movable under certain holes andadapted to let balls pass through the associated holes onto the panel.

6. A game of the class described comprising an inclined board providedwith holes through which balls may drop that are projected over theboard, a slidably mounted inclined panel under the board provided withpassageways to lead balls to the lower end of the panel, means toaccumulate most of the balls at the lower edge of the panel, a ballrouting device at the lower end of the panel and under the lower end ofthe board, said device comprising an integral member having a pair ofsubstantially parallel transverse inclined ball receiving chutes, a balllifter, one of said chutes leading the balls to the lifter, said memberincluding a passageway between the two chutes, and means to slide thepanel to release the accumulated balls and cause them to drop into oneof said chutes.

7. A game of the class described comprising an inclined board providedwith holes through which balls may drop that are projected over theboard, a slidably mounted inclined panel under the board provided withpassageways to lead balls to the lower end'of the panel, a pocketedcross bar at the lower edge of the panel to accumulate the balls playedthrough the holes, a ball routing device tie lower edge of the paneladjacent the accumulator and under the lower end of the board, saiddevice comprising a pair of spaced substantially transverse inclinedball chutes with a communicating ball runway therebetween, a balllifter, one of said chutes leading the balls to the lifter, and means toslide the panel to release the balls from the accumulator bar and causethem to drop into one of the chutes, the other chute receiving spentballs from an opening in the board to be routed through thecommunicating ball runway to the other chute leading the balls to thelifter.

8. The combination of a board having a hole therethrough to receive aball projected thereto, a normally open door for the hole includingmeans operated by a ball falling through said hole to close the door, amovable panel under the board to receive a ball dropping through saidhole, and means under said hole and carried by the panel and constructedto receive but allow a ball to drop through the hole onto the panel,said means serving when the panel'is moved to move the door to holeclosing position.

9. The combination of a board having a hole therethrough to receive aball projected thereto, a normally open door for the hole includingmeans operated by a ball falling through said hole to close the door, amovable panel under the board to receive a ball dropping through saidhole, and a light, fiat, substantially horizontal spring carried on thepanel under the hole, said spring being too weak to support a ballfalling through the hole onto the panel, but being strengthened in thedirection of its length, whereby when said panel is moved said springacts to move the door to hole closing position.

10. A game having an inclined board formed with alleys down which ballsmay roll, a pocketed tray carried at the,lower edge of the board, atransverse loop formed with the tray, a plurality of legs pivotedintermediate their ends and extending toward the pockets, said legsbeing moved from one position to another when balls lodge in thepockets, said board being shiftable to cause release of the balls fromthe pockets and the loop to engage the legs to move them to their formerpositions.

11. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a member providing aplaying surface and having ball exit openings therein; a plurality ofinclined ball runways arranged below and each in communication with apredetermined number of said exit openings; a closure member associatedwith each of said exit openings and actuated by balls passingtherethrough into said runways to close said exit openings; a magazinereceiving balls from the lower ends of said runways; means for elevatingballs one at a time from said magazine to said playing surface;score-indicating members arranged at the lower ends of said runways andmovable into score indicating position by balls passing down saidrunways; means cooperating with said score-indicating members and withsaid runways to retain balls at the lower ends of said runways and saidscore-indicators in score-indicating position; means for moving all saidrunways as a unit so as to release balls held thereby for return to saidmagazine; means operated by the said movement of said runways forresetting all of said closure members into open position so as to opensaid exit openings; and

means adjacent said indicators for returning the said score indicatorsto their initial positions after the said movement of said runways.

HERBERT G. BREI'I'ENS'I'EIN.'-

